Snow is flying in the mountains and fall is firmly upon us in North Idaho. Perhaps as a new homeowner, you are enjoying the leaves turning for the first time in your front yard! Grab your favorite pumpkin spice flavored product and let’s take a quick look at some fall maintenance tasks that are vital for homeowners to protect your home and your sanity as we march towards winter.

Water

Disconnect garden hoses. Even a hose connected to a frost free faucet can lead to a pipe burst.

Drain the water out of exterior faucets.

Remove exterior water feature pumps and store them in a 5-gallon bucket full of water inside your home. This will not only protect them from damage but also keep the seals from drying out.

Drain garage utility sink pipes and dump RV anti-freeze in the drain.

Drain and blow out lawn sprinkler system with compressed air. This should be completed by a professional.

Air

Clean combustion air intake vents

Clean the clothes dryer exhaust duct (make sure the exterior damper is in good working order and can close properly)

Check bathroom and kitchen exhaust vents for stinging insect nests, they can hinder proper opening and closing of the exterior louvers.

Roof

Clean the soffit vents. Over time these can be clogged up with insulation, lint, dust, and paint. They are located under your roof overhang and play a VITAL role in facilitating proper ventilation of the attic space to prevent microbial growth, like mold.

Air Conditioner

If using an outside cover, use a type that only covers the top of the unit. There’s no need to cover the entire unit.

If a furnace or water heater vent blows exhaust gases onto the air conditioner, use a plastic cover to shield the air conditioner from these corrosive exhaust gases.

Don’t cover heat pumps.

Refrain from activating the air conditioning system on days with temperatures below 65 degrees. This can damage the exterior unit.

Exterior

Seal gaps. Check for loose or deteriorating caulk lines around pipes, ducts, faucets, air conditioner refrigerant lines, etc. This is one of the easiest fall maintenance tips. It is also one of the most neglected.

Replace deteriorated or missing weatherstripping around doors and windows.

Smoke and CO Alarms

Ensure that smoke alarms are installed in every bedroom and one in a common area on every level of the home. (A good tip to remember here is that there are two types of smoke alarms, ionization and photoelectric. Photoelectric type alarms tend to detect slow smoldering fires faster than ionization type alarms.)

Ensure that CO alarms are installed within 10 feet of every sleeping room. Do not install CO alarms in furnace rooms, garages, or kitchens.

Replace the batteries in all smoke and CO alarms. Upon replacing the batteries, test the units using the built-in “test” buttons.

Check the age of all smoke and CO alarms in your home. If any alarms are over 10 years old, replace them. The NFPA and manufacturers of these alarms do not recommend using them beyond 10 years, as they may not function effectively.

Furnace

Have a professional HVAC technician service the furnace annually. Fall is a great time to get this done. Furnace failures that occur on 10 degree days in January are less than ideal.

Replace the batteries in your thermostat, especially if you are leaving for extended periods of time during the winter. If the thermostat fails at any point, you don’t want to come home to a winter wonderland.

Clean or replace the furnace filter. This should be done at the very least every three months. Some conditions will necessitate more frequent replacement, such as smoke from wildfires.

Fireplaces and Wood Stoves

Get the flue professionally cleaned periodically when used regularly. Every 30-50 fires is a good rule of thumb.

Clean dust out of the bottom of gas fireplace inserts.

Winters in North Idaho are both beautiful and unforgivable. Lake City Inspections encourages homeowners to create and print off a list like this to go through every fall. Not only will it prevent unnecessary damages to your home that could have been prevented, but it will also begin a habit of good home maintenance that will preserve the value of the home and give the homeowner pride in their investment. If you have any questions about the topics mentioned in this article, feel free to contact us today.

The content of this article was adapted from a list published by Reuben Saltzman of Structure Tech Home Inspections in Minnesota. Reuben is a second generation home inspector and well-respected leader in the home inspection industry. To see more articles like this from Reuben, visit the Structure Tech Home Inspections Blog.